Damn Good Yoga

They are just adorable! Ronin looks like such a sw...

2012-06-01T11:36:59.915-05:00

They are just adorable! Ronin looks like such a sweetheart.

I know it. They melt me to a puddle with this stu...

2012-05-31T15:27:07.366-05:00

I know it. They melt me to a puddle with this stuff.

Oh, the hounds are so cute!!

2012-05-31T10:17:17.078-05:00

Oh, the hounds are so cute!!

I'll be doing six days of Sweeney in NC in lat...

2012-05-25T14:28:35.711-05:00

I'll be doing six days of Sweeney in NC in later July :)

Good idea, Karen. Honestly, I hadn't even tho...

2012-05-25T07:11:58.829-05:00

Good idea, Karen. Honestly, I hadn't even thought of feeding them in different areas. That might be nice for them because, even when they don't fight, my Aussie inhales her food like a starving orphan to the point where she chokes and coughs. She's always done that to some extent, but it's worse with Ronin around.

Do they have to end up eating side by side? I'...

2012-05-25T06:57:17.831-05:00

Do they have to end up eating side by side? I've always fed my dogs in two different places, just so they'll be able to eat in peace. One eats inside and the other eats on the porch. I've never even thought about trying to get them to eat in the same space.

Thanks, Meagan. I'm beginning to think maybe ...

2012-05-24T15:49:06.792-05:00

Thanks, Meagan. I'm beginning to think maybe I've been moving too fast with them. Might need to take a step back and crate them for feeding time after all, at least for the next couple of weeks so they become accustomed to eating side by side without anything negative happening.

Ronin shows no aggression whatsoever, but Opie is possessive of her food and toys, and generally hates other dogs who pass us on our walks. She's always been kind of an asshole, but these past couple of days I've seen a different look in her eyes. I don't like it.

I'm not sure if this would work with dogs but ...

2012-05-24T12:03:17.666-05:00

I'm not sure if this would work with dogs but with cats, a way to get them acclimated to each other is to feed them on either side of a doorway in which a baby gate is set up. You could use a screen or something too. The key is that the cats can see and smell each other but they both have the security of not being able to get at each other. Because food is a good thing, they then start to associate the smells and sight of the other cat with good things. Maybe this would work for your dogs if there is food aggression? Worth a shot. Are there any other aggressive behaviors they are exhibiting?

Beautiful!!! I am not really a dog person,but your...

2012-05-20T08:17:29.604-05:00

Beautiful!!! I am not really a dog person,but your story is inspiring. I love that you saw way beyond this pup's scabby exterior and created a place for him to blossom and shine. So lovely!

Welcome to Ronin! And bless you for making a home ...

2012-05-19T22:52:39.684-05:00

Welcome to Ronin! And bless you for making a home for him and loving him.

Great story Megan! We have 2 rescue dogs, such swe...

2012-05-19T22:49:50.362-05:00

Great story Megan! We have 2 rescue dogs, such sweet animals. Ronin sounds like a great addition to the pack.
Jim

Thanks for the advice, Mark. I do tend to push my...

2012-05-18T07:22:30.233-05:00

Thanks for the advice, Mark. I do tend to push myself pretty hard, but have been resting more and going a bit lighter in my practice lately. Also, I do love a good Epsom salt bath in the evening, but it has been a while since I've indulged. Should probably make a point of soaking once or twice a week.

Stiffness may be a result of partial dehydration. ...

2012-05-18T02:55:07.750-05:00

Stiffness may be a result of partial dehydration. Patanjali says that yoga should be easy and comfortable, so do not push yourself too hard. You work very hard Megan.

If you are stiff and slow, try an Epsom salts bath either the night before or immeditely before your practice. You will be a lot looser.

The heat in texas only agrees with texans. I'...

2012-05-14T09:48:35.853-05:00

The heat in texas only agrees with texans. I'm not looking forward to the summer heat either.

Yea I've been losing my motivation a bit too l...

2012-05-10T08:49:47.490-05:00

Yea I've been losing my motivation a bit too lately. The practice keeps getting shorter and shorter.

Hi Jennifer, Holding onto the outer edge of the f...

2012-05-09T08:33:21.096-05:00

Hi Jennifer,

Holding onto the outer edge of the foot does open the shoulder and chest, but in my own body it also creates additional contraction of up the upper back. There's nothing wrong with that, it's just not what I look for in this particular posture. Personally, I find holding the inner edge of the foot to be a more neutral rotation of the shoulder, with allows me to extend the thoracic spine a little more.

That being said, if you're going to press the foot toward the glute to deepen the stretch, I think an external rotation (holding the pinkie edge) is more appropriate. Thanks for the question!

Do you have any thoughts on the rotation of the ha...

2012-05-09T08:24:11.237-05:00

Do you have any thoughts on the rotation of the hand holding the back foot? I generally have cued (and believe that my teachers have also suggested) holding the pinkie side of the foot so as to maintain an open shoulder. I see you're holding the inside, but you've got good alignment... Just curious as to your thoughts

My knees used to pop all the time until I started ...

2012-05-08T22:53:17.930-05:00

My knees used to pop all the time until I started doing yoga. Then when I finally hit my groove everything seemed to "connect" and the popping stopped. I used to be so scared about it. Once I found this practice everything changed.

Good luck with your practice.

I looooove this poem!! The first time I heard it w...

2012-05-06T23:15:36.042-05:00

I looooove this poem!! The first time I heard it was about a year ago when Gigi read it at the end of one of her classes. Since then, I have read many more of her poems and enjoy them so much.

Re: the lotus -- Yes. It doesn't really make...

2012-05-02T11:57:02.458-05:00

Re: the lotus -- Yes. It doesn't really make a difference, but then again, it is not fun to modify on one side only, or alternatively, to modify both sides for the sake of one. It feels soooo nice to have my Primary in tact. I love nothing better than a smooth, symmetrical Primary on a Friday morning.

Thanks, friends. Indeed, the knee is well on it&#...

2012-05-02T11:53:23.210-05:00

Thanks, friends. Indeed, the knee is well on it's way to a full recovery. The injury, as usual, has been informative on multiple levels.

Damn good post!

2012-05-01T20:15:24.877-05:00

Damn good post!

The depth of your writing about your yoga experien...

2012-05-01T14:47:30.184-05:00

The depth of your writing about your yoga experience is truly inspiring. Glad to hear that your knee is feeling better and rest up!

NICE post, interesting about LBH, I seem to be app...

2012-05-01T12:33:54.965-05:00

NICE post, interesting about LBH, I seem to be approaching these ...resistance's with a kindly amusement these days, been doing it long enough now that many of these postures have come and gone and come back again, god what it must be like to be practicing this for fifteen, twenty years rather than just five : ) Love the picture oh and happy for you that your lotus is back, know it's not supposed to matter but it kinda does, a little, icing on the cake and all that.

Thanks for the feedback, Patrick. I've been d...

2012-04-30T20:12:04.392-05:00

Thanks for the feedback, Patrick. I've been delving pretty deeply into Zen buddhism and enjoy sharing bits here and there that I find particularly poignant or striking.